GARRIOCH: Bettman and the NHL's board of governors continue to play the waiting game

The NHL’s board of governors had a phone call with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly on Monday afternoon and the picture remains cloudy at best.

The commissioner and deputy commissioner have been providing the governors with a bi-weekly update on league issues and the latest from the medical experts they’ve been working with regarding COVID-19. Bettman and Daly both speak with the owners individually regularly, but this was an opportunity to have everybody on the same call to discuss what the next steps may be.

Not only was Bettman expected to provide the 31 owners with an update on the call with U.S. President Donald Trump he participated in with several other commissioners — including Major League Baseball’s Rob Manfred and Adam Silver of the NBA — Saturday afternoon, the league is studying different scenarios on how to finish the regular season and hold the playoffs if that’s even possible.

It’s been 27 days since the NHL went on pause March 12 because of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus around the world and there was just over 10 percent of the schedule left to be played when the governors decided it was best to close the doors for everybody’s safety. The league is still hoping it will be able to finish the season, hold meaningful playoffs and award the Stanley Cup.

The hope for that happening seems to fade with each passing day, but the belief in league circles is Bettman, Daly, and the 31 governors along with NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and the players want it to happen because if they don’t play the hit to the league’s bottom line could be more than $1 billion, which would be a tough financial blow for everybody involved.

At some point, you have to think the league will have to walk away from its hope of finishing the final 10 percent of the season and if the teams do come back they’d go straight to a playoff-type tournament after a short training camp to get back into shape. There has been speculation that could be as many as 24 teams with those just outside the wild-card spots remaining in the picture.

The league is also studying the option of splitting those teams into four groups and holding separate tourneys in neutral sites so nobody has a competitive advantage. Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman indicated Sunday night that Grand Forks, N.D. is one possibility being discussed by the league and the union, and long-time broadcaster John Shannon said Monday that Manchester, N.H., is being considered.

The talk among league insiders is that Saskatoon is on the radar screen if they decide to go this route but let’s be realistic because this is all a long way from reality. If this is about trying to cut back on some of the losses, which is a big part of the picture, then doesn’t the league have to find a way to capitalize on the Toronto market?

Whatever scenario the NHL determines is the best if they can’t complete the schedule has to be agreed on by the players because contracts are set to expire on July 1. The players are unanimous they’d like to finish the season — even if it’s just the playoffs — and free agents would simply extend their agreements with the league if it requires them to play into July, August or even September.

“I’m looking forward to getting out of the house, I’m sure like everybody else is, and getting back to normal and getting out there to start playing again,” said winger Patrick Marleau, who was dealt from the San Jose Sharks to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline, on a video conference Monday.

Front and centre right now is what the players are going to do with their final paycheque which is due to be deposited into their bank accounts on April 15. The NHLPA’s executive committee and the player reps were scheduled to hold a conference call Monday afternoon to provide feedback on what they’re hearing from the members of their team on whether to take the money or not.

A typical payroll among the roughly 700 players in the league is $125 million.

Some members of the union want the owners to withhold their paycheques so when the two sides negotiate the escrow down the road the players aren’t hit hard by a massive payment next year when the final results of this pause are added up. While it’s an issue the players are heavily divided on, the belief is they’ll take the money because who knows when they’re going to get their next paycheque?

The players will be getting back $78 million — approximately 3% of what they paid into escrow — for the 2018-19 season in mid-April.

Everybody is still holding hope of playing.

“It’s an unprecedented time for everybody in the world to win this war with the pandemic and slowly work our way back to normal life,” Edmonton GM Ken Holland told Bob Stauffer on Oilers’ Now on 630 CHED. “As I’m sitting, we’re all home, I’m dreaming and hoping for the opportunity to finish 2019-20 season and see what we can accomplish.”

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